An apparatus for determining the deflection of an elongated component is known from German Patent Application No. DE 38 25 415 A1 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,492. Preferably, the elongated component is a beam being supported at its two axial ends. For example, the beam is a beam for the scraper blade of a paper coater or for the upper lip of a paper machine head box. The apparatus includes a transmitting unit for electromagnetic radiation or light which is connected to the beam in the center portion of the beam. Receiving units for the electromagnetic radiation and for the light, respectively, are arranged in the regions of the two axial ends of the beam. The receiving units include sensor means serving to detect the inclination of the radiation being sent by the transmitting unit. The deflection of the beam is determined based on the inclination. The known apparatus requires a fixed connection of the transmitting unit as well as of the receiving unit and the beam. Thus, it is not suitable for moving components which are to be analyzed during material flow.
An apparatus for determining the deflection of a cylinder of a rotary printing press is known from European Patent No. EP 0 706 886 B1 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,921. A bending rod is connected to the cylinder journal of the rotary printing press. During bending of the cylinder, the bending rod is subjected with a bending force and with bending torque which results in bending of the bending rod. Bending is sensed by strain gauges, and it is determined by an electronic unit. The determined values are used as a measure for the forces acting upon the cylinder. The known apparatus is not suitable for moving components which are to be analyzed during material flow.
Methods and apparatuses for determining bending and deflections, respectively, of elongated components without contacting the components and being based on images being taken by cameras and being processed by a calculating unit are known from German documents Nos. DE 40 37 934 A1, DE 44 09 153 A1, DE 295 03 708 U1 and DE 38 17 387 C2. The German document DE 40 90 293 T1 corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,106 further describes such a method and an apparatus in relation to a flat surface.
Furthermore, it is generally known in the art of fasteners to use apparatuses for determining the deflection of a fastener in which the fastener is supported on two supports and in which the supported fastener is rotated in front of a measuring sensor. For this purpose, it is necessary to introduce the respective fastener into the apparatus in a singled out way and to at least rotate it by 180°.